Apparatus for use in pressing soles and flaps against shoe bottoms and heel breasts



April 24, 1962 GULBRANDSEN 3,030,643 APPARATUS FOR USE IN PRESSING SOLES AND FLAPS AGAINST SHOE BOTTOMS AND HEEL BREASTS Filed Sept. 19, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jay. 2

BRANDSEN 3,030,643

PRESSING SOLES AND FLAPS TTOMS AND HEEL BREASTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. GUL FOR US N T SHOE US INS T Mm o m% 2 6., 9 m1 t Mw S mm pl A F Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 56,928 9 Claims. (Cl. 12-16.4)

Unite This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for pressure attaching outsoles to cement shoes and simultaneously for attaching breast covering flaps to heels already secured to the bottoms of the shoes. More particularly the invention is intended to improve compressible shank pads for machines disclosed in an application for United States Letters Patent for Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing Soles and Flaps Against Shoe Bottoms and Heel Breasts, Serial No. 40,061, filed June 30, 1960 in the name of the present inventor.

It has long been recognized that an inherent difficulty in the use of hollow fluid containing bags for pressing against the shank surfaces of a Louis heel shoe and simultaneously against the breast of the heel when already attached to the shoe has been the lack of character'imparted to the shoe by a fluid containing bag, its failure to press more forcibly against certain surfaces and to omit pressure along other surfaces where abrupt definition between pres sure intensities is required. For instance, the breast of a Louis type heel is relatively narrow as it runs from its tread and upwardly toward its attaching socket for the heel seat of a shoe. As the breast approaches the heel attaching socket it expands to the width of the heel seat and is formed with a concavely curved portion along its breast, approaching closely to or merging with the bottom surface of the shoe shank. If an attempt is made to provide an edge on the heel Which is sharp along a line forming a transverse limit of the concavely curved portion where it merges with the bottom surface of the shank, the strength of the sharp edge is so reduced that heel breakage is common either before or after attachment to the shoe. To avoid this problem the material of the heel along the transverse limit line is cut off with a blunt edge to provide a greater thickness and strength. In so doing a new difficulty arises in attaching the shoe sole, to prevent it from gaping between the blunt edge of the concavely curved breast area and the shank surface of the shoe. To close up this gap an abruptly increased pressure is required to deflect the sole into position.

Another frequent character deficiency is met when utilizing a fluid containing bag for pressing a sole flap against the breast of a Louis heel along the side surfaces of the heel bordering its concavely curved breast portion. In using a fluid containing pad the pad is likely to be wrapped around the side surfaces of the concavely curved portion to such extent as to cause the breast flap to en fold these surfaces and to be attached thereto as a consequence. Such attachment not only interferes with properly trimming the excess margins of the breast flap along the limit line of the breast portion but also causes adhesive to be smeared along the side surfaces of the heel with discoloration or injury to the finish. These same difficulties are frequently encountered, although to a lesser extent, where nonfluid containing homogeneous pads of rubbery material are utilized.

The objects of the present invention are to avoid the difliculties above enumerated and to provide improved shoe sole attaching apparatus containing a single shank pad capable of imparting adequate character to the surfaces pressed thereby to such an extent that a smooth unbroken contour along the shank and heel breast is protet duced, thus insuring closure of gaps and a firm attachment of the heel and sole along the bottom surfaces of the shoe. To these ends the apparatus of the present invention is constructed with a shank pressing element fitting the bottom surface of a shoe having a heel already attached thereto, which heel is formed with a breast having a concavely curved portion near the limit of the breast at its upper end, the shank pressing element when in uncompressed condition being provided with apexes located to concentrate their pressures at opposite margins of the heel breast along a line forming the upper limit of the breast by deflecting the sole being attached into any gaps created by the thickness of the heel along the upper breast limit. In this way the gaps are closed up and the parts are firmly attached to the shoe bottom.

To avoid attaching the breast flap to the side surfaces of the heel bordering its concavely curved area the shank element has running along the opposite edges of the heel breast a pair of ridges formed with larger radii of curvature than that of the concavely curved portion of the heel breast. When the shank pressing element is provided with both these features of construction a desirable character is imparted to the shoe along its most critical portion regardless of whether the remainder of the pad is of a homogeneous type or otherwise.

These and other features of the invention, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation partly broken away and shown in section, as viewed along the edge of a shoe sole about to be attached to a shoe disposed on a pad, including a shank pressing element according to the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the portions of the pad and shank pressing element surrounding the heel of the shoe, illustrating the manner of operation during attachment of a heel breast flap;

FIG. 3 is a still further enlarged sectional detail view of the portions of the shoe and shank pressing element, shown in section and in uncompressed condition, as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective detail View of the heel breast and shank pressing element employed in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 6, showing the portions of a shank pressing element surrounding the heel of a shoe and illustrating the manner of a faulty operation during the attachment of a heel breast flap when the shank pressing element does not embody the features of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail view of the faulty breast flap attaching operation, taken along the line VIVI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the portions of the pad surrounding the heel of a shoe, illustrating the manner of proper operation, as viewed along the line VII-VII of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective detail view of a heel breast and shank pad pressing element constructed according to a different modification of the present invention.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is intended for operation on a cement shoe to the bottom of which there already is attached a Louis or similar type of heel. A Louis heel shoe is shown at 10 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 with its heel 12 temporarily attached by a single hold fast nail 14 (FIG. 2). As in a conventional Louis heel the tread end of the heel, indicated at 16, has a breast of extremely narrow width with its width increasing slightly from the tread end until, in moving upwardly to a position about midway of its length, the breast, indicated at 18, becomes approximately twice as wide as at the tread end of the heel. From the midposition the width of the heel breast in moving upwardly still further increases rapidly until a heel attaching socket is reached. 'The'width of the heel breast, at the level of the attaching socket is a maximum and equal to the .width of the bottom of the heel seat on the shoe. As the heel breast approaches the attaching socket 20 it approaches a portion 22 '(see' FIG. 3) which is concavely curved where the face of the breast merges or approaches into close proximity with the bot tom shank surface of "the shoe, the surface of the socket 20 and of the face of the breast '18 converging along a transverse upper limit 24.

'Heretofore the upper limit of the converging heel breast *18 and the surface of the socket 20 has been drawn to sharp edge but objections have been raised to the sharp edge because it is readily broken in handling and provides an opportunity for injury to an operator in attaching the heel temporarily to a shoe, as well as for damage to the finished surfaces of a'shoe upper. If a transverse limit 24 in the form of an abrupt shoulder, such as that indicated in FIG. 3, is made to terminate the end of the diverging surfaces on'the face of the 'breast'18 then gaps, such as that indicated at 26 (FIG. 3), are formed when the sole is first applied to the joint between the heel and the shank. Unless special means is provided for closing up the gaps 26 appearing at either side of the shoe shank then these gaps are left open and represent points of weakness in the shoe where moisture or other extraneous material may collect with undesirable results on the appearance and durability of the shoe.

In order to press the sole and breast a pad box 27 (FIGS. 1 and 2) supports a resilient laterally extensible shank pressing element 28 composed of homogeneous rubbery materialsimilar to that employed in the apparatus of the prior application above identified. The element 28 has an over-all rectangular shape with a pair of rearwardly projecting toes between which the tread end of the heel enters and with an enlarged convexly curved :upper portion generally fitting the curvatures of the shank and the concavely curved portion 22 of the heel breast.

Instead of fitting the curvature of the shank and the heel breast 18 accurately, as in the apparatus of the prior application the present improved shank pressing element has a pair of apexes 30 located to concentrate their pressures on opposite margins of the sole and heel breast flap along a line running transversely to the length of the shoe on the .pad and forming an abrupt transverse limit 24 of the heel breast. Also, it is the practice to reduce the thickness of the sole, indicated at 32, along the portion opposite the gap 26 and the limit 24 of the heel breast, so that it is more flexible than the thicker portions and is deflected more readily into the gap. The apexes '30 are arranged, when the shank element is in uncompressed condition, to support the shoe and to hold the remaining portions of the combined sole and breast flap 32 from any pressure until after a substantial pressure has been exerted by the apexes 39 to deflect the reduced portion of the sole into the gap.

The shank pressing element 28 in the box 27 is normally held from actual engagement with the shoe by a leather cover 34, which bridges the joints between the shank element and the other pad members including a homogeneous compressible forepart pad 36. The pad 36 is of a length to press the forepart of the shoe bottom :disposed thereon. Beneath the forepart pad are lower cpad layers 38, 40, 42 and 44. Also, the leather cover avoids marking or otherwise producing irregular pressures on the shoe sole and breast flap. As pressure is applied to the shoe the shank element 28 is compressed and it is caused to expand laterally against the breast flap, forcing both the sole and the breast flap into firmly attached condition. To resist'the force of the expanding shank element the rearward surface of the heel is backed by a rubber heel supporting block 46, which is expanded during each operation of the machine at the same time and to the same extent as is the shank element 28, thus balancing the pressures on the heel and preventing its displacement. When the shoe is first introduced into the pad box the heel supporting block is out of engagement with the rearward surface of the heel 12, as in FIG. 1, but as soon as the operation is started it moves toward the heel and is locked in engagement therewith. The pad 'box with the shoe thereon is ultimately moved upwardly relatively to toe and heel abutments 48 and 50, as in the machine of the prior application.

To insure that the apexes 30 receive the initial pressure of the shoe against the shank pressing element 28, so that adequate forces may be applied to the sole .to fill the gaps 26, the radius 52 of curvature on a convex portion of the shank pressing element 28 is made greater than the radius 54 for the concavely curved portion of the heel breast. Of course, as soon as the pressure is applied to the shoe the shank engaging element is compressed and the upper surface of the element expands to fit the curvature of the concavely curved area, as in FIG. .2. 'Thus, the pressure is first supplied to the sole and flap 32 in a manner to close up the gaps 26 and thereafter the pressure is applied to the remaining portions of the sole and breast flap. In this way open holes are avoided. As soon as the attachment is completed the shoe is removed from the pad and the stiffness of the sole causes it to straighten out and present a smooth outer surface.

In the use of a hollow fluid containing shank pressing element and to aless extent with a homogeneous but 'expansible element special provisions have been found desirable to avoid 'enfolding the element about the side surfaces of a Louis heel beyond the concavely curved area of the heel, in a manner more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. If the pressure is applied first by an unridged shank pressing element 56 fitting closely with the concave curvature of a heel 12, then as the upper portions of the shank pressing element are expanded they form ears 58 on the pressing element at opposite sidees of the heel enfolding the sides of the heel .12 within the surplus'rnargins of a combined sole and breast flap '60 as in FIG. 6. Enfolding the excess margins of the heel flap about the sides of the heel will cause the flap to be cement attached to the sides of the heel. If after the operation on the shoe an attempt is made to sever the attached excess margins of the breast flap from the heel, it will be impossible to remove them completely without cutting the side surfaces of the heel, or at best leaving irregular smears of adhesive on the heel.

To prevent adhesion of the breast flap margins to the sides of the heel, according to another feature of the invention, the apexes 30 are formed on integral pairs of ridges 61 (FIGS. 4, 7, and 8) running along opposite edges of the shoe shank and heel breast and the material outside of the ridges is cut away at 62 to provide a step within which the material of the ridges when compressed will flow outwardly without causing the outer surfaces of the heel about its concavely curved breast area to be enfolded by the heel breast flap. Both ridges are made with larger radius of curvature than that of the concavely curved portion of the heel breast. To assist in concentration of pressures along the apexes 30 the material bet-ween the ridges 61 also is removed to provide a trough 64, insuring that maximum pressures will be exerted on the desired areas. The upper surfaces of the ridges 61 are flattened and are slanted downwardly toward each other to fit the shoe shank, as best-show in FIGS. 4 and 8.

In addition to cutting away the material outside of the ridges 61 as in FIG. 4, a shank pressing element 66, as in FIG. 8, may be employed wherein relatively deep channels 68 provide extra space into which the material of the ridges may flow under the force of compression beneath a shoe. A desirable feature of this construction is in the extension of the channels 68 downwardly along the heel breast pressing surface of the shank element. The downward extension of the channels 68, as shown in FIG. 8 enables them be formed with lower portions converging toward each other at approximately the same angles as formed by the increasing width of the breast face. Thus, a better distribution of pressure on the heel breast is afforded. In other respects the shape of the ridges 61 and of the apexes 30 are retained.

The benefits of the configuration of the shank element are clearly shown in FIG. 8, wherein one of the channels 68 is illustrated as being partially filled in by material displaced from one of the ridges 61, the material from that ridge flowing outwardly away from the heel rather than enfolding it. In this way the edge of the heel breast flap 59 is not pressed against the side surfaces of the heel 12 and no problem of adhesion with the surplus marof the flap occurs.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and a particular embodiment having been described, what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe having already attached to its bottom surface a heel formed with a breast having a concavely curved portion near the limit of its upper end, and in simultaneously pressing a flap integral with the sole aganst the breast of the heel, said apparatus comprising a pad box and a compressible pad therein of a length to press the forepart of the shoe bottom, in combination with a resilient laterally expansible shank pressing element having when in uncompressed condition a convexly curved portion generally fitting with the concavely curved portion generally fitting with the concavely curved portion of the heel breast but with apexes located to concentrate their pressures at opposite margins of the heel breast along its upper limit, thus insuring closure of any gaps created by the thickness of the heel along the upper limit of the breast and firm attachment of the parts to the shoe bottom.

'2. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a heel already is attached and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 1, in which the apexes run transversely of the shoe and the convexly curved portion of the shank element has running along the opposite edges of the heel breast a pair of ridges made with larger radius of curvature than that of the concavely curved portion of the heel breast.

3. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a heel already is attached and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 2, in which there are cut away areas outside of the ridges to enable the material of the ridges to be compressed without causing the side surfaces of the heel bordering its concavely curved area to be enfolded by the breast flap.

4. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a heel already is attached and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 3, in which the convexly curved portion of the shank pressing element outside the ridges is cut away toform channels within which the material of the ridges, when compressed, flows without causing the side surfaces of the heel bordering the concavely curved area to be enfolded by the breast flap.

5. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe having attached to its bottom surface a Louis heel formed with a breast of a width rapidly increasing from its tread end to its heel seat attaching socket at the upper end of the breast and with a concavely curved portion near the upper limit of the breast at its upper end, said apparatus comprising a pad box having a compressible pad therein of a length to press the forepart of the shoe bottom disposed thereon, in combination with a resilient laterally expansible shank pressing element having a convexly curved portion fitting generally the concavely curved portion of the heel breast, when in uncompressed condition, with ridges running along the opposite edges of the heel breast formed with larger radii of curvature than that of the concavely curved portion of the heel breast.

6. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a Louis heel already is attached and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 5, in which a trough is formed between the ridges and the material outside of the ridges is cut away to form a step within which the material of the ridges, when compressed, fiows outwardly without causing the side surfaces of the heel about its concavely curved breast area to be enf'olded by the heel breast flap.

7. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a Louis heel already is attached and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 6, in which the cutaway outside of the ridges consists of a pair of channels running parallel to the ridges and converging toward each other as they extend away from the shank of the shoe along the rearward surface of the shank element.

8. Apparatus for use in pressing a sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a Louis heel already is attach-ed and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 5, in which there are provided apexes disposed transversely to the length of the shoe and located on the ridges to press at opposite margins of the heel breast on the shoe along a line forming a transverse limit of the heel breast surface where it merges with the surface of the shank to force the sole into a gap created by the thickness of the heel along the upper of its breast.

9. Apparatus for use in pressing the sole on a shoe to the bottom surface of which a Louis heel already is attached and simultaneously in pressing a flap integral with the sole against the breast of the heel as in claim 5, in which the upper surfaces of the ridges are flattened and slanted downwardly toward each other to conform with the shank of a shoe.

OTHER REFERENCES Publication: Das A, B, C, der Schuh-Fabrikation, September 17, 1937, No. 19, page 1233. (Copy in Div. 11.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,030,643 April 24, 1962 Helge Gulbrandsen It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 31, for "and" read end column 4, line 42, for "sidees" read sides column 5, line 6, after "them" insert to line 18, for "surfaces" read surface same column, lines 34 and 35, strike out "generally fitting with the concavely curved portion".

Signed and sealed this 11th day of September 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

